Tenancy Fraud
Councils are reporting significant recoveries from tenancy fraud and reviewing the performance of their anti-fraud teams.
Lambeth Council recovered £1.2 million in fraudulent Right to Buy discounts and 79 tenancies in July 2026, as detailed in its 2025/26 Counter Fraud Annual Report. Harrow Council's Corporate Anti-Fraud Team also recovered or avoided over £2 million in the 2025-26 financial year, achieving a significant return on investment. Hammersmith and Fulham Council's Corporate Anti-Fraud Service recovered £475,553 and prevented £994,313 in fraud between April 2025 and March 2026, with tenancy fraud accounting for over 70% of its caseload.
Councils continue to scrutinise anti-fraud efforts, with Islington Council's Audit and Risk Committee considering its annual fraud report in September 2026. This follows Harrow Council's Corporate Anti-Fraud Team facing challenges in November 2025 to meet targets for recovering social housing units and disrupting fraudulent Right to Buy applications, as reported to its Governance, Audit, Risk Management and Standards Committee. Lambeth Council's Corporate Committee also reviewed a Counter Fraud Progress Report in December 2025.
Tenancy fraud involves deception or misrepresentation to obtain or maintain social housing, including illegal subletting. Westminster's Fraud Team uncovered over £1 million in fraudulent activity during the 2024/25 financial year, as stated in its Counter Fraud 2024/25 End of Year report in July 2025. Councils use various measures, including investigations and preventative training, to combat this issue.
Key facts
- Lambeth Council recovered £1.2 million in fraudulent Right to Buy discounts and 79 tenancies in July 2026. Source
- Harrow Council's anti-fraud team recovered or avoided over £2 million in the 2025-26 financial year. Source
- Hammersmith and Fulham Council's anti-fraud service recovered £475,553 and prevented £994,313 in fraud between April 2025 and March 2026. Source
- Tenancy fraud accounted for over 70% of Hammersmith and Fulham Council's investigator caseload in June 2026. Source
- Harrow's anti-fraud team struggled with targets for recovering social housing units in November 2025. Source
About this summary
This summary was written automatically from our published stories and the council meeting records they draw on. It describes what councils have discussed and decided; it does not take a view on any decision. Each key fact links to the story it comes from. Updated 30 September 2026. Spotted a mistake? Email community@opencouncil.network.